Fire Exit Book Tour Events
Past Events
Maine Voices Live with Morgan Talty
Portland Press Herald staff writer Eric Russell talks with Morgan Talty about his new book, "Night of the Living Rez" during a virtual conversation on Tuesday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Maine Public All Things Considered Book Club
A conversation with author Morgan Talty about his new book, Night of the Living Rez.
Sunday Stone House Readers Series - November 20th, 2021
Featuring Morgan Talty, Jenzo DuQue & Natalie Harris-Spencer
Beyond the Page: Writing the Moment
With all that is going on in the world right now, it can be difficult to imagine writing a poem or prose piece that is not shaped by the present moment. Yet, how do writers write about current events and societal problems, even long-standing ones, as they continue to unfold in real time? On October 19, 2021, this conversation facilitated by Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s Lit Event Fellows—poet/community leader Samaa Abdurraqib and Penobscot fiction writer/Native American studies instructor Morgan Talty—featured authors whose work tackles issues of racial and social justice and violence. Celebrated writers and community leaders Joseph Jackson, Toni Jensen, and Scott Woods spoke about their own work and the process of creating it, as well as how writers place their work in conversation with current events and use language to upset the status quo and challenge long-accepted narratives.
Beyond the Page: Writing that Dares
As readers, it can be exhilarating to come across a work of writing that subverts our expectations and fearlessly breaks boundaries and artistic conventions. On June 10, 2021, this conversation facilitated by Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s Lit Event Fellows—poet/community leader Samaa Abdurraqib and Penobscot fiction writer/Native American studies instructor Morgan Talty—showcased writing that dares to defy artistic and social norms. Celebrated writers and thinkers Ian Khara Ellasante, Jenn Shapland, and Elissa Washuta spoke about their own work, the process of creating it, and the need for writers and artists to push back against constraints of genre, gender, history, and social/cultural expectations.
Beyond the Page: Editing and Publishing BIPOC Stories
On March 25, 2021, this conversation facilitated by Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s Lit Event Fellows—poet/community leader Samaa Abdurraqib and Penobscot fiction writer/Native American studies instructor Morgan Talty—explored the experiences of BIPOC writers and editors in today’s publishing industry. Distinguished guests Valerie Boyd, Samara Cole Doyon, Jenzo DuQue, and Phuc Tran each spoke to their own experiences writing, editing, and publishing their work and/or the work of other BIPOC authors and explored the challenges and opportunities for BIPOC voices within this space.
Beyond the Page: Navigating the Self, “Other”, and Audience in Poetry and Prose
On February 4, 2021, Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s Lit Event Fellows—poet/community leader Samaa Abdurraqib and Penobscot fiction writer/Native American studies instructor Morgan Talty—discussed what it means to write within and outside of our own experiences with renowned authors, Kelli Jo Ford and Lisa Bunker. What can be lost when writers are pushed to reformulate their poetry and prose for an imagined straight, white audience? How can all writers benefit from asking and re-asking themselves tough questions about how they portray and encounter “the unfamiliar” in their work?